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Trump administration 2024-2028

RangerRay said:
I wonder how much talk of cross-border consumer good smuggling had a role in this decision too? Could you imagine if TV's and iPhones were being sold in Canada for a lot less than in the US, how many Americans would be coming up here to buy stuff to sell out of the back of a truck down south? It would be a small boom for our economy!

It wasn't something I was thinking about until I heard David Frum mention it in a podcast yesterday.
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Hiding Nintendo Switches under the bricks of Fentanyl?
 
Some fallout from the Vance family outing to Greenland.

www.bbc.com

US fires Greenland military base chief for 'undermining' JD Vance

The US military said it had lost confidence in Colonel Susannah Meyers' ability to lead.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
The head of the US military base in Greenland has been fired after she reportedly sent an email distancing herself from Vice-President JD Vance's criticism of Denmark.

The US military's Space Operations Command said Col Susannah Meyers had been removed from her role at Pituffik Space Base due to a "loss of confidence in her ability to lead".

Last month, Vance said Denmark had "not done a good job" for Greenlanders and had not spent enough on security while visiting the Danish territory.
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The alleged email, released by a military news site, told staff Vance's comments were "not reflective" of the base. A Pentagon spokesman cited the article, saying "undermining" US leadership was not tolerated.

Following Vance's trip, on 31 March, Col Meyers is reported to have written: "I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the US administration discussed by Vice-President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base."

Military.com - which published the email - said the contents had been confirmed as accurate to them by the US Space Force.
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Appearing to confirm this was the reason for her firing, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell linked to the Military.com article in a post on X, writing: "Actions [that] undermine the chain of command or to subvert President [Donald] Trump's agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense."

The Space Force's statement announcing Col Meyers' removal on Thursday said that Col Shawn Lee was replacing her.

It added: "Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties."
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lenaitch said:
Brave move on the part of the Col. Dumb move, but brave move. I suspect she knew the likely outcome when she wrote it.
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Yes, but there were probably other factors that contributed to her decision.

nypost.com

Space Force Col. Susannah Meyers fired after astonishing mass email about JD Vance’s Greenland visit surfaces

The Space Force announced late Thursday that it removed Col. Susannah Meyers as commander of Pituffik Space Base “for loss of confidence in her ability to lead.”
nypost.com nypost.com
Durning Vance’s visit, The Post witnessed Meyers speaking about her plans to retire in the next few months.
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It will be interesting to see if further action (e.g., court martial, etc that results in a less than honorable discharge) is taken against her that would result in loss of retirement benefits. Though I expect the military hierarchy will be somewhat reluctant to pursue that result, it would not surprise me that the civilian political leadership would seek it.
 
KevinB said:
Wasn’t brave it was just dumb. She should have sent her resignation in and the email up the chain about the event and why she was resigning.
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Her smug sense of self-righteousness obviously prevented her from doing the right thing ;)
 
Honestly she deserved to be fired after that. As a soldier you are expected to perform your duties impartially and in a non-partisan manner. She chose to not act that way and much like MacArthur was shown the door.

Seeing if she shall be charged will be the interesting part to this.
 
On, off, on, off, on, off... on? And apparently also thinks people can read minds.

NOBODY is getting “off the hook” for the unfair Trade Balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other Countries have used against us, especially not China which, by far, treats us the worst! There was no Tariff “exception” announced on Friday. These products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff “bucket.” The Fake News knows this, but refuses to report it. We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations. What has been exposed is that we need to make products in the United States, and that we will not be held hostage by other Countries, especially hostile trading Nations like China, which will do everything within its power to disrespect the American People. We also cannot let them continue to abuse us on Trade, like they have for decades, THOSE DAYS ARE OVER! The Golden Age of America, which includes the upcoming Tax and Regulation Cuts, a substantial amount of which was just approved by the House and Senate, will mean more and better paying Jobs, making products in our Nation, and treating other Countries, in particular China, the same way they have treated us. The bottom line is that our Country will be bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
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China’s latest salvo…halting the sale of critical minerals to what seems to be pretty much everybody and not just the U.S. This is reported in the New York Times, so a paywall may apply.

www.nytimes.com

China Halts Critical Rare Earth Exports as Trade War Intensifies

Beijing has suspended exports of certain rare earth minerals and magnets that are crucial for the world’s car, semiconductor and aerospace industries.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
JLB50 said:
China’s latest salvo…halting the sale of critical minerals to what seems to be pretty much everybody and not just the U.S. This is reported in the New York Times, so a paywall may apply.

www.nytimes.com

China Halts Critical Rare Earth Exports as Trade War Intensifies

Beijing has suspended exports of certain rare earth minerals and magnets that are crucial for the world’s car, semiconductor and aerospace industries.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
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That is super, super bad if they stick to it.

Years back a number of western companies including a couple of Canadian ones were working on viable rare earths extraction projects, where the reserves and mineralogy were proven. China rug-pulled the stock price and nuked the economics of the projects. China, consequently, has the western world by the balls on this.

IMO there’s room and strategic need for a crown corporation to partner with private industry to develop critical minerals deposits to protect our supply chain.

Cutting Rare Earths off to the U.S. is an ultimate “fuck you, watch this you dumb piece of shit” in the face of tariffs. And the U.S. basically can’t do anything about it. Their domestic production is far too low.

EDIT: archived version of the story.

 
brihard said:
That is super, super bad if they stick to it.

Years back a number of western companies including a couple of Canadian ones were working on viable rare earths extraction projects, where the reserves and mineralogy were proven. China rug-pulled the stock price and nuked the economics of the projects. China, consequently, has the western world by the balls on this.

IMO there’s room and strategic need for a crown corporation to partner with private industry to develop critical minerals deposits to protect our supply chain.

Cutting Rare Earths off to the U.S. is an ultimate “fuck you, watch this you dumb piece of shit” in the face of tariffs. And the U.S. basically can’t do anything about it. Their domestic production is far too low.

EDIT: archived version of the story.

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One would think that something like this would be a likely if not probable response by China. Trump must have had someone in his cabinet or advisors who have envisioned this happening. Or maybe everyone’s too afraid of him to point out how dangerous his on-and-off tariff strategy is. Or perhaps Trump, in his demented state, welcomes China’s actions.
 
brihard said:
That is super, super bad if they stick to it.

Years back a number of western companies including a couple of Canadian ones were working on viable rare earths extraction projects, where the reserves and mineralogy were proven. China rug-pulled the stock price and nuked the economics of the projects. China, consequently, has the western world by the balls on this.

IMO there’s room and strategic need for a crown corporation to partner with private industry to develop critical minerals deposits to protect our supply chain.

Cutting Rare Earths off to the U.S. is an ultimate “fuck you, watch this you dumb piece of shit” in the face of tariffs. And the U.S. basically can’t do anything about it. Their domestic production is far too low.

EDIT: archived version of the story.

Click to expand...

And another step toward China taking it's chances with Taiwan now, since Trump has ensured they have little else to lose.
 
JLB50 said:
One would think that something like this would be a likely if not probable response by China. Trump must have had someone in his cabinet or advisors who have envisioned this happening. Or maybe everyone’s too afraid of him to point out how dangerous his on-and-off tariff strategy is. Or perhaps Trump, in his demented state, welcomes China’s actions.
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This is what happens when you surround yourself with toadies and yes-men. It’s not like China’s control over rare earths is new. This has been on the radar for ages.

It would take at least a few years for even a state-driven project to bring domestic REE deposits to production. China’s got him by the balls probably for most of the length of his term, assuming a “start RTFN” best case scenario.
 
JLB50 said:
One would think that something like this would be a likely if not probable response by China. Trump must have had someone in his cabinet or advisors who have envisioned this happening.
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Yeah, probably not. Their not sending their best.

JLB50 said:
Or maybe everyone’s too afraid of him to point out how dangerous his on-and-off tariff strategy is. Or perhaps Trump, in his demented state, welcomes China’s actions.
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I’m guessing it’s all a bunch of fart-sniffers thinking that this is Winning!(TM).
 
JLB50 said:
Or perhaps Trump, in his demented state, welcomes China’s actions.
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He has the perfect bargaining chip to open up the rare earths...Taiwan.

Speaking of which, US Envoy visited Russia and Iran in the last three days.

Perhaps we are seeing the beginning of grand bargains: Russia abandons Iran and in return the US completely abandons Ukraine...and NATO.
 
PPCLI Guy said:
He has the perfect bargaining chip to open up the rare earths...Taiwan.

Speaking of which, US Envoy visited Russia and Iran in the last three days.

Perhaps we are seeing the beginning of grand bargains: Russia abandons Iran and in return the US completely abandons Ukraine...and NATO.
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I’ve been saying that for the last 3-4 weeks.
Canada is sacrificed as well.
 
PPCLI Guy said:
He has the perfect bargaining chip to open up the rare earths...Taiwan.

Speaking of which, US Envoy visited Russia and Iran in the last three days.

Perhaps we are seeing the beginning of grand bargains: Russia abandons Iran and in return the US completely abandons Ukraine...and NATO.
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Trump would sacrifice his own mother if it resulted in financial gain.
 
PPCLI Guy said:
He has the perfect bargaining chip to open up the rare earths...Taiwan.

Speaking of which, US Envoy visited Russia and Iran in the last three days.

Perhaps we are seeing the beginning of grand bargains: Russia abandons Iran and in return the US completely abandons Ukraine...and NATO.
Click to expand...
If Taiwan’s government said “go”, I wonder how quickly they could have a viable nuclear weapon and the ability to deliver it? And that could include something like popping it in a sea container to be sailed into a port city. Just enough to be a credible “not worth it” deterrent.
 
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